


Found

by ibrokemymug



Category: Kagerou Project, Mekakucity Actors
Genre: Again, Angst, I Can't Make Kano Happy, M/M, Tags Are Hard, i can't do it
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-06
Updated: 2020-05-08
Packaged: 2021-03-02 01:28:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 9,689
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23996755
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ibrokemymug/pseuds/ibrokemymug
Summary: He couldn't cry about Ayano now. Not when her little brother that she loved so dearly needed help. He could fix Kano, he was sure of it.
Relationships: Kano Shuuya/Kisaragi Shintaro
Comments: 7
Kudos: 32





	1. Transparent Answer

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First of all, I've been writing too much don't judge me I have too many ideas and too much time on my hands xD 
> 
> Second of all, there were a lot of things I wanted to do with whatever my next work would be. And I didn't do most of it :') 
> 
> Wanted to try to make Kurokano but happy? Didn't do it.  
> Made Kano happy? Didn't do it.  
> Made angst? Did do it.  
> Got inspired by something and made a Kanoshin thing? Did do it.  
> Finished it in a single oneshot thing? Didn't do it. (watch this be like 20k words long)
> 
> So yeah take this :')

_"Ah, can't believe I lost again! I guess I shouldn't be that surprised though, seeing as you're the game master and all. And to be fair, I've never been that good at this game to begin with...."_

_"It was just too easy, I've played this so many times. It just boils down to memorization and skill."_

_"Eh? But that's no fun! After all, the fun's all in the art of tricks and schemes!"_

_"Oh, really? How so?"_

_"Well, how about I walk you through it.... Meanwhile, how about another match?"_

\- - -

Shintaro remembered the days where Ayano couldn't stop talking about her beloved siblings, Kido, Seto, and Kano. He vividly remembered the joy and warmth in her voice as she expressed her concern for the troubled children, or fondly recalled how one of them managed to give her parents trouble. Of course, back in those days, he never really expected to meet them all in the same space. And he definitely never expected that he would find himself a part of their organization, sitting in their apartment, and sleeping on their couch. Well, supposed to be sleeping, at least.

Shintaro idly brushed his thumb over the screen of his phone, scanning lightly over the words covering boring topics, backed by a blindingly white screen (seriously, how was there no dark mode?). It was clearly late, and this was proven as he glanced over the top of his phone... _2:34 AM._ The red jersey wearing teen finally considered going to sleep. After all, there was nothing interesting left to do. After turning off his phone, he finally laid back on the couch of Apartment 107. Sleep was quick to close in, for once, and he was just about ready to drift off out of the waking world. That was, until he heard the sound of the front door opening, followed by quiet footsteps. He peeked out with one eye open to see a familiar figure silhouetted at the door frame. The sliver of bright moonlight was enough to make him squint. The figure quietly turned around to shut the door, before turning their head back, as if they were checking if anyone heard. Shintaro felt sleep start to drag him back down as he struggled to keep his eye open. The figure let out a small sigh before sliding their back against down on the door to the ground. A thump was heard as their head pressed against the wood of the entrance. The NEET couldn't ponder on the situation any further as he lost the battle against his tiredness. 

The image of Kano was slowly consumed by the darkness as he finally closed his eyes.

\- - -

_"Well? Aren't you going to tell me about your 'amazing, fun' way to play the game?"_

_"Of course! But the game can't start until we set up the board, isn't that right?"_

_"...Oh. Right."_

_"So which side do you want?"_

_"Doesn't really matter to me."_

_"Fine, fine! I'll take black then. Now, set up your pieces already."_

\- - -

"HEY, WAKE UP ALREADY, MASTER!" a loud voice blared by Shintaro. Before he even cleared the fog from his mind, he knew who it was. 

"Alright, alright, I'm up!" he replied, sitting up and glaring at the screen of his phone. "Jeez, nobody else is even up yet, Ene! Why did you have to wake me up?"

"Huh?" the virus in question tilted her head before gazing up at the digital clock above her. "Ah, what are you talking about, Master? I'm right on time!" 

The raven haired male gave an exasperated sigh as he turned the screen to face elsewhere. "It's not even sunrise yet, Ene! Either you're messing with me or _someone_ messed with the damn clock." 

"Well I can assure you that it wasn't me," Ene crossed her arms defiantly, letting out a small huff. "Fine, then, you can go back to sleep I suppose, I'll take care of the clock." 

Shintaro groaned as he lay back down, though after several minutes of waiting it became clear to him that sleep wasn't coming back easily. A frown made its way to his face as he stared up at the ceiling. Eventually, light began to filter in the room as the sun rose. Finally giving up on his attempts at rest, Shintaro stood up from the couch and made the decision to go to the kitchen in hopes of finding something to eat, though Kido would get up to make breakfast soon. As he stretched, Shintaro took notice of a sound nearby. He turned to see the deceiver of the group, Kano, leaned against the door with his knees drawn up to his face, snoring. He approached the other as he yawned and recalled the night before, where Kano must've come home late and fallen asleep at the entrance. Kano's hood was pulled up over his head, and his bangs hung over his face. He slept with his legs against his chest and his arms squeezed in the space between them and his body. It looked uncomfortable. 

"Hey," Shintaro shook the blond's shoulders. 

The other jolted awake, before he raised his hands and pushed his hood out of the way of his face. He looked surprisingly well rested as he gave a calm and content smile. 

"Ah, Shintaro, good morning," the liar beamed. "Guess I didn't watch where I slept, huh?" 

"Uh, yeah," the red wearing teen rubbed the back of his neck as he continued. "The, er, others aren't awake yet, so you'll have to wait for Kido to make breakfast." 

"Oh?" the other tilted his head as he stretched his legs out before him, much to the NEET's annoyance. "That's a shame! After all, it's usually her or Mary that wakes me up. I suppose I have some spare time on my hands then." 

Shintaro simply gave a small sound of acknowledgement as he continued over to the kitchen. 

He tried his best to dismiss the red droplets dotted on the floor by the deceiver's leg. 

\- - -

_"So... are you gonna prove your point already or were you just looking for an excuse to lose again?"_

_"Oh, how cold! Of course, everything starts casually as both opponents search for the right move, right? At least, I'm mostly sure that's how this game works."_

_"...Mostly sure? We've played several matches already-"_

_"Ah, see? You've found a path to check me already, haven't you? I saw that look in your eye!"_

_"E-"_

_"Obvious as always! I'm not letting you win that easily."_

_"..."_

_"This is where the battle of wits starts, is it not?"_

\- - -

"Kano, do you really have to take up so much space?" Shintaro sighed as he looked down at Kano, who seemed very content with being as obnoxious as possible in how he lay on the couch. The blond shifted his feet on Shintaro's lap as he looked up from his book. 

"I don't see what's wrong, Shintaro-kun!" the boy lifted his left foot right up to his face as if that would help his case. 

"Your boots are really dirty," he muttered as he spotted Ene at the corner of his phone, on the verge of laughing. 

"Ah, now that's a lie, lucky number seven!" Kano dropped his foot back down, to Shintaro's half relief. "And I thought I was the liar of the Dan," an almost bitter sounding laugh sounded from him. "I'll have you know that I make sure that my boots are constantly clean!" 

"That's not an excuse to kick them in my face," the older teen sighed as he lightly punched the deceiver's ankle. 

To his surprise, the leg drew back sharply, yet when he turned to face the owner of the leg, he was just met with a flash of red and a cocky smile. 

"Fine, fine! If you really find my feet _that_ annoying..." the deceiver trailed on casually, as if the conversation hadn't been interrupted at all.

Shintaro almost dropped his phone as Kano reversed his position, dropping his head down on his lap, giving an all knowing grin. He was being annoying and he absolutely knew it. 

"You can deal with _me_ instead!" the blond threw his arms up like as a child as he gave a wide show of teeth, causing the other to groan in exasperation. 

"God you're annoying," the red clad boy mumbled as he reached down and pinched the boy's arm. 

A sharp inhale was heard from the other as his expression momentarily flickered, marks flashing on his face and arms as he struggled to regain control on his powers. Shintaro looked down on the other in confusion as he regained his composure. He could've sworn he lost weight before his eyes, but that could've just been a trick of the eyes. The blond simply lifted his arms to use as a pillow for his head as he pouted. 

"Hey, you okay?" the NEET trailed slowly, glancing at his phone rather than at Kano. 

"Ah, you're so cruel Shintaro-kun," Kano stated simply, picking his book back up and averting his eyes. "That's not how personal pillows treat people!" 

"Right..." Shintaro turned his attention back to his phone just to see Ene wreaking havoc on his files. "H-Hey, stop that!" 

He caught Kano rolling his eyes from the edge of his vision. 

\- - -

_"Any new openings? Hmmmmm?"_

_"Eh, not really."_

_"Or are you just saying that 'cause of that trick I pulled earlier? Pretty impressive, right?"_

_"...Right. Was I really that obvious?"_

_"Ah, just obvious enough for me, haha!"_

_"Then I'll make sure not to be so obvious next time. Check."_

_"Wha-?"_

\- - -

"Shintaro," the member in question jumped as he heard the voice behind him. It apparently belonged to the leader, Kido, who was looking down on him from where he was sitting on the couch.

"Hey, Kido," Shintaro greeted dismissively, glancing up at her. "What's up?" 

"I need you to do something for me," the green haired girl looked him dead in the eye. "Could you keep an eye on Kano for me?" 

Shintaro was, admittedly, a bit taken aback by the sudden request, but he agreed nonetheless. "Sure, but could I ask why?" 

"Oh, it's just Mary said that he's been acting and moving pretty weird after his 'night walks'" Kido spoke of the liar's term with disdain tainting her voice. "I just need you to check up on him, make sure he doesn't get into trouble. I'll have you know that he's very good at getting into sticky situations. The worst example is when he managed to get shot in an alley and tried to hide it until he almost passed out. Not only did he have to go to the hospital, but he locked himself in his room for nearly a week." 

The teen winced. _That's pretty stupid, even for Kano._

"Well, you can count on me, I suppose," Shintaro murmured the last part as he lowered his phone. 

Kido threw him a quick thanks as she left to clean up the dishes at the kitchen, where Mary waited patiently. Shintaro, for the time being, decided to rest for a bit. The walk to the hideout had been extremely tiring, after all, despite Momo's constant bickering about him just being "weak." He grimaced at the term as he closed his eyes.

_"Shintaro," a voice echoed behind him._

_The teen whirled around. He was at the roof of the high school for some reason, gazing out at the sunset and... a field of flowers? Strange, that definitely hadn't been there before. There was no end in sight to the mass of petals. As he turned, he learned the voice belonged to a girl with brown hair and a red scarf that wasn't exactly appropriate for the weather. Ayano. He sighed as he shifted his gaze to her._

_"If you_ really _need help with your homework again-" he started, but was quickly cut off as Ayano leaned against the railing lining the edge of the roof._

_"Ah, Shintaro, you're so silly," she giggled, though it was humorless and devoid of life. "Aren't you smart, as always? I can't help but wonder..."_

_She propped herself up on the metal as she set her hands by her sides. Shintaro felt dread slowly build up inside him as the sun and the warmth slowly faded from the sky._

_"If you're so clever," she dragged her words as she stared him dead in the eye. "Why didn't you notice anything was wrong? How could you be so stupid and let this happen?"_

_The light was basically gone from both the sky and her eyes now. Ayano leaned backwards as she gave a smile, no, it was more like a disgusting sneer that didn't belong on her face or match her features. It was taunting him._

_"How could you be so easily fooled?"_

_Her eyes glowed red now. He couldn't help but feel like it was familiar somehow._

_Ayano was letting go of the rail now. Shintaro didn't spare time for words. Instead, he reached out for the girl as she let her grip finally slip off. He grabbed her arm- at least, he thought so and-_

_The light vanished as the sky went dark._

_"You're such a fool."_

Shintaro jolted awake in a sweat as he sat up. He struggled to steady his breathing.

In the darkness, there was the sound of a gasp. 

"Uh, who's there?" Shintaro squinted his eyes as he scanned the area for the source. His heart pounded. 

"Ah, sorry, sorry!" a carefree voice responded. "Did I wake you? My bad! Guess I was too loud." 

As his eyes adjusted, the NEET realized that it was just Kano. He stood a few feet from the floor, and had probably been in the middle of walking back to his room. His legs shook, Shintaro noted. _Probably back after another one of his walks. What time even is it?_ He decided that could wait as he remembered the task given to him by Kido. 

"Um," Shintaro started. _Graceful as ever._ "How... was your walk?" 

The cat eyed boy eyed him with confusion and partial suspicion before shrugging. "It was fine. Why, Shintaro, are you worried about me~?"

"Erm, yeah," the older teen had to restrain himself from looking off to the side as he responded. 

"Hm," Kano tilted his head to the side as he turned away. "Well, I can't really see why.... But, either way, I think I'll be on my way now." 

He restarted his walk to his room as he continued. But... 

"Sleep well, Shintar- huh?" 

Shintaro grabbed at his arms as he stared him straight in the eyes. 

"Something clearly happened, Kano," he started, closing in on the other. "I'm not stupid, I can see you're limping." 

He lifted the blond's arm in front of him as he continued to prove his point. 

"Your arm's shaking too. Kido told me to make sure you're doing alright. So tell me what happened." 

The liar froze, cornered, as his eyes darted around elsewhere. Seeing him like this was definitely a contrast to the contrast to the calm, collected deceiver that he had been moments before, Shintaro noted. This wasn't a mask he was looking at. Kano might be a good, maybe even extraordinary, liar, but he still had weak points in his methods. He thought he could smile and tease his way out of nearly anything, but if any person were to just pay more attention or focus on something other than his dazzling smile, they'd see the small details he left out of his true self in his body language. Like the shifting of his feet, or the clenching of his fist, or the tensing of his shoulders. Shintaro had learned this long ago. 

"W-Well," the other shook as he struggled for an answer. 

Instead, he settled for wiggling out of Shintaro's grasp and running away. 

Shintaro was left to stare at the darkness in front of him and consider what to do.

\- - -

_"At this rate this game's gonna end in a stalemate...."_

_"That's just 'cause I already know all your tricks."_

_"Hm? You think so?"_

_"Well, I know enough, at least."_

_"Ah, you really think that? Haha, you have a lot left to learn, friend!"_

_"...Uh-huh..."_

\- - -

He reckoned that he could let the events of the day before slide. After all, Kano was the kind of person to get into trouble for really dumb reasons. Whether it was because he fell out of a tree, got attacked by dogs, or stole a cake from a store (it was quite the interesting memory). He could take care of himself. He was sure of it.

The smell of breakfast slowly wafted into the room as Kido cooked breakfast. The sound of what Shintaro assumed to be pans hitting the floor sounded as Mary squealed and let out a quick sorry, followed by the voice of Seto's reassurance. Ene and Momo, who was sitting nearby, both cheered a quick "you can do it!" to the helpless girl, startling Hibiya and confusing Konoha. 

Shintaro could feel the upwards curve of his lips as he observed the rhythm that the Dan had settled into. Where they pretended to be normal and enjoyed their time as a family together. But today, something seemed... off. It was too quiet. There was usually a little more chaotic energy among the members, especially in the morning. 

"Oi, Shintaro," Kido's voice called over all the noise. "Go wake up Kano, will you?" 

Oh, that was it. 

"Seriously?" Momo questioned. "He hasn't woken up yet?" 

"Yeah," Hibiya muttered. "Even Konoha's up already." 

The white haired boy tilted his head in silent confusion at the mention of his name. 

"We should let him sleep in," Ene cackled jokingly. "That's what he gets for staying out 'til 4 in the morning! What does he even _do_ being out for that late?" 

"Ah, he may be careless, but he still needs breakfast," Seto settled, laughing lightly. Mary nodded in agreement as she tried to balance the plates. 

"Right, right, I'll go wake him," Shintaro agreed, standing up and making his way to the blond's room.

The commotion from behind seemed to fade as he knocked on his door. 

"Hey, wake up already," he called out. "It's late." 

A small gasp was heard from the other side of the door. Shintaro stepped back as the door was suddenly swung open, revealing a smirking Kano. 

"Alright, alright, I get it, Kido's mad," the blond's voice didn't hold a care. His feline eyes stared into him. "You really didn't have to wake me up though, I would've gotten up just fine." 

The NEET moved his gaze to peer into the inside of Kano's room. It was dark inside, but a small glint on the ground caught his eye...

"Hey, hey," Kano's voice suddenly took a dangerous tone as he moved to block his way. "It's rude to invade other people's privacy. Or is that why you came to wake me, huh?" 

His smirk seemed deadly as he scanned the taller. Shintaro felt a scowl come to his face as slight frustration built up. 

"No, Kido just wanted me to get you," he walked away as he added quietly. "You don't have to make such a big deal about it."

He could feel the other's gaze burning at the back of his head as he left. The image of the strange glint (maybe glass?) and the small traces of red didn't leave his mind.

\- - -

Shintaro sighed contently as the members of the Dan slowly filtered out of the room, all full from the delicious food that Kido and Mary had made together. 

"Master, you really have to do more than just sit on the couch here," Ene shook her head in disappointment as she spoke. 

"Well, it's not like there's any missions for us to go on," Shintaro responded lazily. He decided to leave out the part about him not wanting to do any form of physical activity as the sound of doors closing echoed around the apartment. 

The energy in the atmosphere slowly dispersed as everything quieted. The only sounds left were... strange coughing sounds from somewhere within the hideout. 

"Hey, Ene, do you hear that?" the raven haired questioned slowly. 

"Yeah, maybe someone's just a little sick," the virus shrugged. "Where's it coming from?" 

"No idea," the other muttered quietly, standing up. "Let's go investigate." 

"Aye aye, Master!" 

The teen listened to the sound of his own footsteps as he slowly made his way over towards the source of the cough, which sounded more like choking now. The short journey led him to the bathroom. He and Ene exchanged a worried glance as the person inside let out a quiet, hoarse swear. 

"Hey, you alright in there?" Shintaro knocked lightly on the door. 

"Geez, Master," the cyber girl gave an exasperated sigh. "You don't just question around and do nothing, you gotta take action! Break down the door!" 

"That's ridiculous!" he responded quickly. "Seriously though, are you doing okay in there? ...Whoever you are?" 

The strangled sounds of the other were stifled in the response to the sound of their conversation. 

"...Are you throwing up in there?" Ene called over to the door. 

"...I'm fine," a raspy voice rang out from the other side. "I'm just not feeling well." 

"Are you sure?" "Do you need anything?" the two pressed. 

"I'm fine!" the other snapped, despite the hacks that followed. "Just go to sleep or whatever." 

The NEET remained silent as he stepped away, despite Ene's hurried protests. 

"...He can take care of himself," he whispered aloud. 

"Are you really convinced that Kano's okay?" Ene whispered back. 

"...Yeah." 

He most definitely wasn't. 

\- - - 

_"You know, that was a pretty stupid move, Mr. 'You're too obvious.'"_

_"You're so cold! I pretty much had the round in my hands! ...For once."_

_"Cold? Ouch. I'm telling you, tricks are nothing when you're smart enough to strategize and see through them. You tried, I guess."_

_"Bu-"_

_"Aaaand there goes your queen."_

_"..."_

_"What? That's what you get for being careless."_

_\- - -_

"Is it too much to ask of you, Shintaro?" Seto asked, worry flickering in his eyes. 

"If you don't wanna go, I can do it-" Momo added. 

"No, I can do it," Shintaro gave the best reassuring smile he could. It probably did the exact opposite, judging by the look in his sister's eyes. 

"Seriously, hasn't he gotten enough 'fresh air' over the past few days already?" Hibiya rolled his eyes as he spoke sarcastically, gazing up from the orange haired girl's phone. 

"Oh, and Momo," the red wearing teen added as he made his way out the door. "I wanna talk to you after I'm back, okay?" 

The idol nodded, confused. 

Shintaro couldn't stop the mild shaking in his hand as he walked to Ayano's grave. 

The mass of gravestones slowly appeared at the horizon. The archive of people's lives that lay before him was empty, save for one person. Just the person he was looking for. 

He approached the crouched figure slowly from behind. Ayano's name slowly became within reading distance as he neared. He became aware of the shifting of his own feet as he stopped. In all honestly, Shintaro wasn't completely prepared to come here, he knew that much. The evidence of Ayano's death hardly got much easier to look at, but he needed to be here. Shintaro heard it from Kido herself:

"He usually likes to drop his illusions when he's visiting Ayano," the memory of her voice echoed in his mind. 

Shintaro had come here for answers. Looking back on it, maybe it would've been a good idea to inform Seto or Kido, or both, of the strange occurrences that had been happening. The blood, the glass, last night, it all burned vividly in his memory. He knew he had to try harder if he wanted to find the truth, if he wanted to find out what was wrong. The teen froze as Kano spoke to the grave. 

"Ayano, I'm sorry, but I can't keep my promise," he spoke hoarsely, it was hardly audible. "I'm not strong enough to... I..." 

He clenched his fists as his shoulders tensed. 

"I'm sorry Nee-Chan," his voice shattered as he buried his face in his hands. "I just can't be 'Shuuya' for you anymore! It's becoming too much... I just..." 

Shintaro's hand shook as it hovered over the boy's shoulder. 

"I just want to..." 

Shintaro knew he made a mistake the second he made the move to hold the other. Kano's eyes widened and flashed a bright, glaring red as he registered the teen's presence. 

"Ah, Shintaro, didn't expect to see you here!" the other laughed. 

"Kano." 

"Were you here to 'find me' again?" 

"Kano!"

"Or did you come here to visit the girl you killed?" 

"Just stop!" 

He was shoving away the other now. He cursed himself as tears partially clouded his vision and the face of the boy before him. He could make out the curve of a smile, reminiscent to a snake's, expanding as Kano took on a disgusting expression. Shintaro wiped at his tearing eyes quickly, forcefully pushing away the memory of Ayano, just for now. He couldn't afford to drown in self pity right now. She wouldn't have wanted that. But... 

"Oh? Is something wrong... Shintaro?" her face was right before him. 

His words caught in his throat as she gave a warm smile, her hair blowing slightly in the light breeze. He was choking on those words now as she stared at him with eyes that no longer held life. 

"Ay...n-" 

"Have you forgotten about me already, Shintaro-kun?" she narrowed her eyes in that knowing way she had always done in school. But those eyes held different intentions now. "Did you really hate me that much?" 

Shintaro grabbed at her- no, his shoulders. He wanted the illusion to stop. He wanted the mask to break. How does he make it stop? _Make it sto-_

"Ah, Shintaro," Ayano placed her hand over his. "You really are a cold-hearted fool." 

It stopped, and she was gone. 

And so was Kano.

Once again, he failed to find the answer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I genuinely can't think of any ideas of how to do happy or at least fluffy KuroKano and it's just sad stuff xD (it's hard)  
> It's all a n g s t. (Same here too I guess hmmm)  
> Anyway, more chapters coming later! (I was considering making this all just one big piece but then I was like "nah, I'm gonna split this up into parts")


	2. Finding

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oops I accidentally closed out without saving like 2 paragraphs in my bad 
> 
> Oops #2 forgot to change the publication date my bad
> 
> Anyways yo it's chapter 2, this was gonna be 3 chapters long but I just decided to combine the last two

The snake in his mind cackled in amusement.

"How ironic of a wish! Didn't you help that girl so she wouldn't disappear?" 

The boy's chuckle was hollow as he stared at the red eyes in the mirror.

"Keep lying then. Just like we've been doing from the beginning."

\- - -

_"This'll be a piece of cake, I've basically won already."_

_"Ouch, how could you say that? I've still got plenty of tricks up my sleeve!"_

_"You can keep saying that..."_

_"Aw come on! Have some faith in me!"_

_"I haven't had very good experiences with having faith in you previously, what makes you think this time will be different?"_

_"I...."_

_"Hey, no need to get so worked up over it."_

_"..."_

_"H-hey..."_

\- - -

"Alright, what's going on?" Momo questioned, her big curious eyes staring up at him. 

Shintaro rubbed the back of his neck as he began, "Well, you're probably gonna get mad at me for this. But it's about Kan-" 

She let out an extended sigh as crossed her arms and closed her eyes. The idol was just short of glaring at him as she reopened them. 

"Again? Really?" she seemed genuinely disappointed. "Is this another one of your 'I think Kano hates me' situations? 'Cause for the last time, nothing's wrong! He has no reason to hate you and he literally does nothing against you!" 

"I'm pretty sure that's not true," Shintaro mumbled, barely audible. "B-But that's not the point! I'm seriously worried about Kano. I think there's something wrong with him. Haven't you noticed anything weird about him? Like him acting strange or... something?" 

Momo threw her arms up in disbelief. For once, she looked like she was finally done with him. "Come on, how could you say that? You're just worrying too much! He's fine and he's perfectly capable. There is literally _no_ reason to believe that anything's wrong and _you_ just need to calm down." 

She grabbed his shoulders as her gaze softened. The sibling bond that had been broken between them had looked, even if just for a second, somewhat reignited as she expressed her concern for him.

"Really, it'll be fine," Momo spoke gently, before turning away and leaving the room, most likely to join Hibiya. 

"Dammit...." Shintaro cursed quietly, clenching his fist by his side.

As the scene replayed in his mind again, he swore he saw the corners of something black escape from the corner of his eye.

\- - -

_"Wh-what the hell?"_

_"Hm, what's up?"_

_"I could've sworn that wasn't there before-"_

_"Ah, haha, you just weren't paying attention. You were 'being careless' I suppose. And now I have a queen again!"_

_"Are you sure you didn't just cheat or something?"_

_"Are you sure you're not just trying to accuse me of being a liar_ and _a cheater?"_

_"..."_

_"..."_

\- - -

The following days were tense, though the others seemed oblivious to it. There wasn't a day that went by where Shintaro didn't notice Kano eyeing him when he thought he wasn't looking, or where he didn't feel the an uncomfortable strain crawling between them as they sat or passed by each other. It was something that sat dormant under the joy and warmth within the hideout, waiting to explode and be known to everyone. Shintaro really didn't want that time to come. 

He quickly shoved the unpleasant thoughts away as he gazed at the bright colors illuminating from his phone. As he stole a glance at the top of his phone again, he noted the time. 12:34 in the morning. Maybe going to sleep wouldn't be a bad idea.

"Shintaro," the teen in questioned turned to the source of the voice. It was pretty late now, and he must've been so caught up in his thoughts that he failed to notice anyone leaving their room.

It turned out it had been Mary who spoke. Her arms shook and she looked on the verge of crying. 

"Y-Yeah?" Shintaro responded uneasily as he set the device by his side. "Is something wrong? Did you have a nightmare? Seto-"

"I think something's wrong with Kano," she replied, fear tainting her normally sweet voice. 

Before he could speak further, he was led by an arm down the hallway to the deceiver's room. As the two neared, he could make out the sounds of gasps and sobs through the door. To say it was unheard of would be a lie, but it was unsettling nonetheless, considering the albino girl's reaction. 

"I-I mean," Shintaro cursed himself for stammering as he turned to the other. "He's probably just having a nightmare, or something...."

"W-Well, I tried knocking on the door, since nobody else seemed to be up," Mary started slowly as she fruitlessly attempted to control her shaking. "And... I eventually came inside b-because I thought he hadn't heard me. B-b-but...." 

She whimpered, signaling that she wouldn't- no, _couldn't_ continue. Shintaro nodded in understanding as he cautiously reached for the doorknob, suddenly fearful of what he might find. His hand shook as he was suddenly overcome with anxiety. He gently opened the door. 

Maybe he should've brought Ene with him, so there would be more witnesses to the scene. The room was dark, but the form of Kano twitching and shifting in his sleep was visible. But that wasn't what Mary's gaze was focused on. Shintaro followed it slowly, then scolded himself for not noticing it sooner. In the room, a mirror sat, broken and in pieces on the floor. Blood was smeared and dotted across the ground like a sick design. The red trailed up to where the troubled deceiver lay. A sharp, metallic scent assaulted the air as Shintaro stared in disbelief, stifling a gasp. He frantically scrambled for what to do next. 

"Mary," he whispered hurriedly, the stuttering now absent from his voice. "Clean up the glass, and be careful not to cut yourself. I'll try to take care of Kano." 

The word "try" lay heavy on his tongue. 

As the girl knelt down to gently pick up the glass shards, Shintaro stepped towards the struggling figure. His footsteps seemed deafening and the atmosphere was crushing. Maybe Kido or Seto would've been better suited for this. Actually, in all honesty, almost anyone would be better than an awkward NEET with lacking social skills and even worse comforting skills. _But that's beside the point._

The deceiver held his right arm close to his body as he lay curled up on the mattress, which was also stained with red. Shintaro hesitantly reached out his trembling hand to the other, then, after a pause, tugged on his shoulder. Mary reappeared by his side, a beyond worried look on her face as the boy shot up, gasping awake. As he took notice of the pair, he quickly tucked his arm in his jacket. His amber eyes looked frantically between them.

"Kano," Shintaro quickly made a grab for the deceiver's concealed arm, but the other resisted. 

"Ah, did I wake you guys?" Kano's voice shook with uncertainty as he struggled to hide. "My bad! You see, I was having this really strange nightmare about a-" 

Mary, who now had several fat tears rolling freely down her face, quieted the other as she gently took the his injured arm and examined it silently. Shintaro let out an audible gasp as he saw the glass shards poking through the hand and the thin, frail arm. Blood ran down and dripped onto the floor as the girl quivered in place and the teen stood frozen. The only sound travelling in the air was the mournful _plip_ of the red substance as it flowed down and hit the ground in a puddle. 

"We should get this bandaged," Shintaro murmured, more at the glass than at Kano.

"I-" 

Before Kano could even finish, Mary quickly wrapped her arms around him, sniffling and attempting to stifle her sobs. Her body was wracked with shakes and hiccups as she held onto the boy tightly.

"Kano... will you be okay?" she managed through the catches of her breath. The sound of her voice was tainted with tears. 

The deceiver didn't have an answer for her. Not an answer, not a lie, nothing. A resentful look darkened his features as he sat. Quickly, he ducked his head and hid his face, though his injured hand didn't stop shaking. 

"Shintaro," the Mary turned to look at the older teen now as her tears pattered on the mattress. "Will Kano be okay?" 

This time, the question was more like a broken plea, the desperation in it making the NEET's heart ache. Eventually, he turned his gaze to the side, no longer able to bear looking at the girl's red rimmed eyes.

He couldn't give the same answer to her that he gave to Ene. 

\- - -

_"Another promotion? Maybe you'll actually have a slight chance of winning."_

_"I'm trying my best here!"_

_"Yeah, yeah, but more queens doesn't mean a win."_

_"C'mon, you have to believe in me somewhat! After all, I have something big planned. Check."_

_"Hm."_

\- - -

The concern in Kido and Seto's expressions didn't go unnoticed. 

Shintaro and Mary had finally made the move to inform them of last night's events. It was the reasonable course of action, after all, as the two siblings had known the liar since childhood. They would know what to do, Shintaro was sure. He could leave everything in their hands. In the end, he did most of the explaining, while Mary simply threw herself shakily in Seto's arms to be comforted. The teen in the jumpsuit whispered reassurances and calming words to the smaller as he rubbed her back, though his eyes reflected pure worry.

"I'll definitely look into it," Kido said calmly as she and Seto exchanged knowing glances. Shintaro almost found himself jealous of the silent sibling communication the trio had among each other. After all, he and Momo had lost it long ago.

As Seto left for work and Kido went to clean up the hideout, Shintaro was left to convince Mary that they had done the right thing. That Kano would do just fine.

She looked convinced, and so did he.

\- - -

_"Okay, listen, seriously, more queens isn't exactly equivalent to winning."_

_"Oh, you have no idea what I have planned!"_

_"...Like having an army of, I dunno, six or seven queens?"_

_"Pffffft."_

_"That's a horrible strategy."_

_"Which is why that's just what I want you to think I'm doing!"_

_"...?"_

\- - -

As he observed the next few days, the two teen's judgement seemed right. The blond's presence was one that stood steady and calm now, like a clear summer's day. Whenever the deceiver interacted with anyone, he always flashed a warm, relaxed smile, in contrast to the sharp smirk he usually threw. It set him, Mary, Ene, and everyone else at ease. It was uplifting to see that he was no longer so on edge, no longer so forceful with his every action. It was so relaxing, but... it was almost painfully familiar, which was a strange thing for Shintaro to think, as he wasn't a person that Kano was usually honest to. 

Despite the new mood the change brought, though, it had certainly brought a slight imbalance within the hideout. At first, Shintaro thought that it was just the fact that Kano was usually nothing but forced masks of deceit, and now he was being so warm and almost sickeningly genuine in comparison. It seemed like a reasonable conclusion, at first, as the personality swap had definitely thrown a couple others off. Like Hibiya, for example, who found his lack of teasing "really creepy." Or Kido, who sometimes looked just a little uneasy in her brother's company, as if she were trying to figure something out.

Shintaro eventually started reflecting that uneasiness though, too. He found this as he stood talking with the blond himself among the rest of the Dan. As their conversation ensued, he eventually realized that he just couldn't shake off the feeling of nostalgia from the other's actions. The soft, warm smile that showed so much caring, it didn't truly suit him. It looked as if it was meant for someone else's features. The relaxed expression that always seemed to be in careless ease managed to look just too relaxed on his face. The summer's temperature that shown in his eyes almost made him uncomfortable. Even if rarely, he had seen the true Kano before, and this wasn't it. 

Maybe this was just another act, after all. _But then wouldn't Kido or Seto say something? Have they not noticed yet?_

"Eheh, if that's how it is, then that's really boring Shintaro!" the Kano cheerily as he tilted his head playfully. It was clearly intended to be only half mocking, but it made the NEET feel almost sick.

Shintaro felt waves of embarrassment radiate off him as he tried to defend his opinion, "W-Well, it's just that...." 

The conversation reminded him of something. It tugged an old memory at the edge of his mind, but he couldn't figure out which one. _Why is this so familiar?_ The teen felt his stomach churn, but he kept a straight face as he continued arguing with the other about trivial topics. 

"Hm, Shintaro, you don't look so good," Kano's yellow eyes flashed worry, something rare for him. "You didn't get sick or something, did you?" 

"I'm fine," the teen wanted to laugh at the irony of the lie. "I'm just a bit tired." 

"Haha, that's what you get for staying up late reading on your phone," he poked. 

"Speak for yourself," he mumbled out, then immediately regretted it. 

"And what's _that_ supposed to mean, Shintaro-kun?" the other used his name to taunt him as he put his hand on his hips. 

"Nothing..." he spoke even quieter now, cursing inwardly for the mistake. 

Kano seemed almost ready to lash out at him, in that horribly passive aggressive way he always did for what seemed like no reason. But instead, he just shrugged it off and smiled. The smile was somehow worse than the smirk. It was so warm it made Shintaro feel like he was going to come down with a fever. The boy eventually stood up and walked off to join his younger siblings, who were locked in deep conversation.

As he approached, he announced, almost too loudly, to them "Kido! I have some news for you that you might find pleasing!" 

The hooded figure in question raised her eyebrow as she eyed the deceiver, who now stood in a dainty fashion before her.

"Well, what is it?" she replied monotonously. 

"I don't need to go on my night walks anymore!" Shintaro half expected the blond to throw out his arms in that flashy fashion he always did when he spoke, but instead, he twisted his hands nervously, as if embarrassed.

"Oh, _now_ you're not going on your night walks, huh?" Kido questioned the shortest of her siblings, almost suspiciously. "That's awfully sudden." 

"Nope!" the other responded calmly. "As Hibiya said, I've gotten enough fresh air for a while." 

"Hey, don't drag me into this!" the youngest yelled from the couch where he sat with Konoha. 

"Well, it's nice to know that you're happy to stay with us," Seto finally added, a pleased expression on his face. 

"Of course! After all," Kano raised a finger to his lips, causing Kido's eyes to widen a fraction. "This is _our_ secret organization, right?" 

Shintaro grew worried as the green haired girl's fist suddenly tensed and shook, as if she was just itching to break the blond's nose. For what reason, he didn't know. Seto's gaze grew saddened as the three of them quieted, simply staring at one another. Kano lowered his hand and gave a nervous chuckle. 

"You don't have to be like that, Kano," Kido said quietly as she halfheartedly aimed a punch in his direction. 

Without uttering a word, he quickly dodged out of the way. 

"I don't see what you mean," the deceiver said simply, before the others could comment. He let out a yawn and stretched. "But anyways, I'm tired, so I'm gonna take a nap. Wake me up when dinner's ready, 'kay?" 

The sound of boots hitting the floor slowly faded as Kano left. Kido stared at the, now unoccupied, space before her with an unreadable expression. Seto held a face of extreme disappointment.

"Uh, hey, Kido," Shintaro finally jumped in as the green haired girl eyed him. "Why... do you always hit Kano all the time?" 

She huffed in indignation, "Long story short, physical pain deactivates his power. And if that _dumbass_ is trying to avoid pain, it means he's up to no good." 

"...I see."

\- - -

_"Geez, what am I even supposed to do, there's hardly any pieces left!"_

_"Huh, I guess we usually never get to this point. Since_ someone _is so quick to lose..."_

_"H-Hey, I can still win! After all, I still have my faithful army of queens."_

_"You literally just focused on them alone, letting me take out the rest of your pieces."_

_"Well..."_

_"And stop making the same move over and over, or else this game's gonna go on forever!"_

_"Eheheh...."_

_"I'm really starting to think your 'big plan' was just a bluff. Maybe you've just ran out of tricks. Or did you just want another rematch?"_

_"..."_

_"Okay, seriously, do something else I swear."_

_"Uhm.... A-Alright!"_

_"...?!"_

\- - -

"What's...going on?" Konoha questioned quietly as he stared outside.

"Geez, what the heck are they _doing_ out there?" Hibiya sat back with a groan as he turned his attention to the door. 

"I'm not sure..." Momo said, worry etched on her face. "They've been out there for a little while, what are they even talking about?" 

"I hope they're not fighting or anything," Mary joined in quietly, concern in her eyes. "They're pretty loud...."

Shintaro rubbed his eyes as he registered the muffled voices outside the hideout. 

"Wait... what's happening?" he asked as he yawned awake. 

"Master, you're so lazy!" Ene yelled at him, causing his phone to vibrate. 

"Huh?" 

"Kido and Seto went out to talk to Kano just earlier and it sounds like they're yelling now," Mary informed him, tugging at her sleeve nervously. 

"Maybe they're finally talking about his issues," Hibiya muttered as he rested his head in his hands. 

"Issues?" Momo lowered her phone to look at the younger boy. 

"Haven't you all noticed?" he sighed. "He's been acting weird all week. It's downright creepy." 

"...Creepy?" Konoha questioned. 

"I mean, I'm sure it's just how he normally is, er, without his eyes," Mary winced as the commotion outside grew louder. "But it does sound like it's getting pretty bad out there...." 

"I can check it out," Shintaro volunteered. Ene loudly agreed as he reached for the door. 

He could feel the eyes of the other members on him as he left. _Is this what Momo feels like in public?_

A shout quickly jarred him from his thoughts as he closed the door. 

"THIS ISN'T _BETTER_ , KANO!" the familiar voice of the Mekakushi Dan's leader ripped through the air.

Ene stopped mid-sentence as the shout rang out. She and Shintaro exchanged concerned glances as they approached.

"Kido- calm down, the others can probably hear us-" as Shintaro approached, he saw Seto desperately trying to pull Kido back from potentially breaking Kano's arm.

"Yeah, come on, Danchou!" Kano laughed as he smiled. Seeing it always made Shintaro feel queasy now. "Mind the other members! You don't have to worry about me all the time-" 

"Shuuya," Seto finally spoke out, his eyes defiant. Kano froze in place. "This isn't right. You can't just do this." 

He finally reached over to embrace the blond, and Kido eventually joined silently. 

"Don't let yourself disappear like that..." Seto mumbled. 

"H-Hey, that's my line," Kano's voice wavered as he spoke. "Right... Kido?" 

"Sh-Shut up..." the girl was on the verge of tears as she lightly punched Kano's shoulders, which were now slumped in defeat. 

The blond remained silent as he spotted Shintaro. The smile he threw was reminiscent of a caring sibling's, and the look in his eyes was cheery. 

That's when it struck Shintaro. 

He knew why the expressions the other pulled were so familiar. 

The way he acted was a painful reflection of Ayano's image. 

And nobody else had minded enough to notice.

\- - -

_"What the hell?"_

_"?"_

_"Did you- wha, you can't just do that!"_

_"Pfffft, what do you mean?"_

_"That's just unfair."_

_"I don't see what's wrong."_

_"..."_

_"So.... checkmate?"_

_"No! You can't just run away from it, just admit you lost."_

_"Pshhhhh, haha- what?"_

_"You're a really bad liar, y'know."_

_"..."_

_"..."_

\- - -

"What happened yesterday, Kido?" Momo spoke up first as most of the Dan sat together. 

The purple clad girl had refused to speak of what had happened outside the day before, but now everyone else was either worried or confused on just what had happened. 

"Yeah, you guys were so loud!" Hibiya exclaimed. 

"Well-" Kido began. 

"...Where is Kano?" Konoha's monotone voice trailed. 

The remaining seven members all froze. 

Kido quickly turned to Seto, who looked incredibly guilty. 

"Well, he said last night that he was going on another walk...." the jumpsuit wearing teen said slowly. 

"Idiot," the girl spat. She looked ready to snap someone's spine at any moment. "He said he wouldn't go out anymore. Don't you remember what happened last time we let him go out when he was this upset?!" 

Before Seto could speak up, Ene cut in. 

"Well, shouldn't we go and find him?!" she asked with a worried face. "Or at least... call him... or something?" 

The two, nearly in sync, whipped their phones out immediately and dialed furiously. The rest of the Dan watched as the air was clouded with tension.

"..." 

"...No response," Seto finally said as Kido cursed. 

"Ene, could you reach him through his phone?" Shintaro asked the virus, who was now resting on a seat of various updating apps. 

"I tried, but..." she shrugged, though her voice had a slight waver. "It must be out of battery. I can't access it."

"I hope he's doing okay," Mary stared down at her feet as she spoke. 

Shintaro stole a glance at Momo, who had a guilty expression as she stared at him. 

"For now, we should just wait," Seto said finally, moving to comfort Mary. "He'll come back when he's ready." 

\- - -

_"It's not fair to use your power like that."_

_"There's no rules against it!"_

_"..."_

_"What, scared of losing?"_

_"It's more like you're just scared of admitting that you're trapped."_

_"..."_

_"In this case you're not really hurting anyone but yourself. So stop using your powers already!"_

_"..."_

_"...What?"_

_"Ah, nothing."_

_"Well, anyways..."_

\- - -

Days passed and rolled by but the deceiver didn't return. Kido had already ordered a few nights of searches, but they all ended with exhausted Dan members, Kido cursing, and no Kano. Momo had apologized to Shintaro a multitude of times for ignoring his concerns earlier, but all it did was make both of them feel exponentially worse. Seto did his best to reassure everyone else that this had happened before, but that didn't make anyone less worried. Kido tried to put the whole situation off as "him just being difficult," but nobody was convinced. Not even her.

Nothing was looking good. 

Shintaro groaned as he sat up and stretched, clearing the fog of sleep out of his mind. _I must've fallen asleep at some point...._

"MASTER, MASTER, WAKE UP!" Ene's voice blared from within his pocket. 

"What do you want?" the teen whined, blinking at the blue haired virus.

"You have a message!" she yelled. The girl waved the notification frantically at the front of his screen. 

"From who?" Shintaro asked tiredly as he briefly checked the time. August 15th, 7:50 PM.

"I have no idea!" the other exclaimed. "They sent a photo." 

Shintaro viewed the image in the message. It was an out of focus picture of the sky, where the sun was hovering above the horizon. It appeared to be taken from... the... school. The rooftop, to be exact. As he further examined the photo, another message was sent. 

_Come find me Shintaro-kun!_

Ene peered at him with confusion as the teen sat, puzzled. He quickly responded with a "who are you?" 

Instead of a proper message in response, the person sent another photo. 

It was an unsmiling Kano with red eyes, staring down at the phone as the rails of the rooftop backed his form. The sun was dipping behind him, giving the illusion that his eyes were glowing as a shadow was cast over his face. 

Shintaro would've admired the shot if he hadn't dropped his phone when he threw on his jacket. Without a second thought, he burst out the door and rushed to the location in the picture. As he ran, his lungs basically screamed and his mind yelled at him to _stop running_ , but he knew he couldn't waste time.

Eventually, the building slowly came into view and the NEET swore as he saw the silhouette of the liar staring out at him. He hurried up the steps, quickly pushing away the memories of the past that lay like mist among them as he focused on the present. He pushed through the door as he reached the top, and faced the red eyed liar. 

"Ah, Shintaro, how good of you to come!" the deceiver called.

\- - -

_"Ah, fine, I admit it, I can't win."_

_"About time."_

_"I guess you win again, huh?"_

_"Of course. Checkmate."_

_"Darn, how come I can never beat you?"_

_"I guess I'm just that good."_

_"Can we have another rematch sometime, Shintaro?"_

_"Of course, Kano."_

\- - -

"Dammit, where have you been Kano?!" the raven haired boy almost yelled as he stood before the other. "Everyone's been worried sick!" 

He desperately tried to ignore the edge that sat inches before the blond. 

"Well, I've needed some time to think," Kano responded, the light of the sunset backing him. He leaned against the rusty metal, resting his elbows. "I realized that I've messed up... a lot. It just seems that no matter how I try to fix things, I always make things worse." 

Shintaro desperately struggled for words. He needed to say _something_ but he couldn't get anything out. The sun was dipping below the horizon now, and it was growing cooler. Kano continued as if there was no pause to begin with. 

"My first mistake was making you worry about my problems," he chuckled dryly. "I was too stupid and careless and made you, Kido, and Mary all worry. Maybe I was being a bit obvious, huh? After all, it's a bit hard to control your powers when you have a twisted ankle, or... well, you get the idea." 

Kano's red gaze pierced him as he trailed on slowly. 

"Then I managed to get you and Ene involved in my own punishments, heh, maybe I should've gone for a different approach, eh, Shintaro?" though his face refused to show it, the teen could see the wet spots of tears dotted at his feet. 

"Then you and Mary, in your worries, ended up finding things out on your own, and then Seto started worrying too," he smiled as darkness started to consume the sky, the light in his eyes slowly faded. "That was already five out of seven members, and you even tried to get Momo in, which would make six. So I tried to change. I started realizing that _I_ couldn't do things right. So I tried becoming Nee-Chan instead. Personality-wise, at least. After all, I was so good at impersonating her anyway, not that I was anywhere remotely close to the real thing. Everyone seemed to like it for the most part, and we all calmed down again. I could let myself disappear while the new, better me took my place. You following?" 

Shintaro nodded, not daring to take a step forward as the boy's eyes pinned him. 

"But you weren't so easily fooled." 

He let the red disappear from his eyes as the true Kano revealed itself. 

The deceiver himself was but a thin, fragile frame before him now, seated on the building's rails, swinging his legs carelessly. 

"It looks like even my best deception wasn't good enough," Kano leaned his head back as tears rolled down. "I've screwed up so much. So... I think you already know what's going on, right? Do I really have to say it, Shintaro?" 

His voice shattered like glass as he gazed at the older teen. 

Before Shintaro could even be given the chance to respond, the sun vanished and Kano tipped backwards, letting himself slip. As darkness finally swallowed the sky, Shintaro hurried forward and reached out to the boy. Kano closed his amber eyes as he whispered softly.

"You aren't such a fool, after all." 

Shintaro caught his arm.

The deceiver reopened his eyes in disbelief as he was hauled back up to safety, all illusions disposed of. Shintaro held the boy's bony body close as the two trembled, Kano shaking violently. The blond's face was stained with tears now. He was vulnerable. 

"I don't know what I'm doing, Shintaro," Kano's broken voice rang out as he cried. He clutched Shintaro's jacket like a lifeline. "What the hell am I even doing anymore?!" 

The red wearing teen, like a broken record, repeated reassurances to the other "It's okay, it's okay, you don't have to be like this." It was all he _could_ say.

Kano wrapped his arms around Shintaro and smiled bitterly. 

"I can never win against you, can I, Shintaro?" he whispered. "Could you promise to save me all the time like this?" 

"Of course," Shintaro choked out through his own sobs as he pulled Kano closer.

"Heh, thanks...." 

\- - -

_"Ah, well, that was a fun play session, I almost won that time!"_

_"...You actually didn't even get close."_

_"Ah, well, either way, I suppose that's the end. Let's reset the board, shall we?"_

_"Alright."_

\- - -

"MOMO!" Shintaro yelled as the girl fell, a bullet embedded in her head. 

Screams rebounded and echoed around him as the dark Konoha laughed with glee. The monster raised his gun again, and shot at Hibiya. The boy didn't stand a chance as red leaked from his neck. As he choked on the ground, Seto rushed over in an attempt to stop the other. Shintaro's eyes went wider than the younger's as a hand, now soaked red, was plunged in his chest. Kido screamed and turned to Kano, who stood frozen, an unfocused expression on his face. 

"YOU IDIOT," her voice ripped out. "AT LEAST MOVE OR SOMETHI-" 

Her cries were cut off as multiple bullets tore through her form. Her dark eyes turned lifeless.

Shintaro rushed to the blond as Mary wept hysterically on the ground. The scene of red was beyond unsightly and the smell made him want to vomit.

The NEET dug his fingers tightly into the liar's shoulders as he shook with desperation. He swore as tears warped his view of Kano's face. 

"Dammit Kano, wake up!" he shouted. "Can't you hear me?! Please!" 

The other boy was stunned, his eyes blank.

_It's not fair!_

He screamed as pain erupted in his throat. As he fell to the ground, he saw Kano's eyes finally, _finally_ lock with his. But it was too late. As he suffered on the ground, his teary, darkening vision caught the black clad teen approaching the blond. The bloodstained being jammed the barrel of their gun at the boy's head. 

_This isn't fair, please..._

The words the snake spoke and Mary's pleads slowly became a dull, fading noise as Shintaro felt his life slip away. He tried to speak, scream, say _anything_ to Kano, to comfort the other, but he couldn't talk. Not when the metallic taste of blood was filling his mouth, drowning him. A dulled flash of light filled his vision, then the unmistakable figure of Kano fell. 

_It's..._

Before he even had the chance to shed another tear, his senses were surrendered to darkness. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> haha keyboard go click clack


End file.
